Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony expressed willingness to renovate and equip the Burrowes School of Art in order to boost enrolment and provide new artists with the latest technological skills.
Anthony made this address after opening an exhibition featuring the 24 graduates’ works, at a ceremony held on Friday. Students were awarded diplomas or certificates in painting, sculpture, textile design, ceramics, graphics and drawing, and others participated in modular art and a one-year beginner’s programme that was held in the evenings, a press release from the Government Information Agency said. The students’ final pieces were assessed by the local examiners, with assistance from external examiner, Anthony Butts from Trinidad and Tobago.
The minister congratulated the students; saying they now join the list of outstanding artists who would have graduated from the school. He also encouraged them to emulate local artists who have distinguished themselves in the country as well as in the Caribbean. Anthony said the ministry is interested in furthering development at the institution in order to attract more students. As regards infrastructure, he said it would renovate the institute and provide more equipment to satisfy the needs of additional students. In addition, he urged the school’s administration to re-examine the school system and the structure and consider adding computer learning skills, including computer graphics and web site designs to its programme. Director of Studies Kathleen Thompson said this is the first time that the graduates from the one-year programme had a chance to display their final creations at the exhibition. She encouraged them to continue to work hard.
Butts said he was pleased to see that many of the drawings included the human form which was compulsory in the drawing course. He then suggested that animation be implemented into the curriculum as a pilot project, in line with President Bharrat Jagdeo’s recent commitment to providing computers to families across the country.
